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I
 spend a lot of time in this episode apologizing for it sounding 
depressing.  It's really not.  At least, I don't think so.  That said, 
we'll see if my rant about the fact that the "Rodney King Trial" wasn't a
 trial of Rodney King (but, instead, was a trial of the police officers 
who beat him) gets me in any trouble.
I include a brief quote from 
Randy Cantrell's Leaning Toward Wisdom episode 4043
 and I'd recommend adding him to your podcatching software if you like 
the pontifications of the Ericast.  His is similar, with more/better 
experience and a bit of a Texas twang.
I also extensively quote 
Henry Cloud on Hopelessness:
The time when you get to hopelessness can be one of the best moments for
 your future.  To give up hope that something is going to change when it
 is not going to gets you unstuck immediately and brings energy.  It 
brings life to the sickness of hope deferred.
   
 But how do you 
know if entering into that process of change with someone is even worth 
it?  How do you know that it is going to help?  Haven't you wondered 
that sometimes?  "Are they ever going to change?  Are they ever going to
 get better?  Should I really keep working with them, thinking they are 
going to improve?  Are my efforts to get them to change going to help 
anything at all?" 
 
Or on the personal side of life, how do you 
know when to invest the effort with someone to work on making things 
better and when you should tell them that you are done talking about it?
  With whom do you try, and with whom do you say, "I'm done talking"?  
That is a question that, if properly answered, can save much time and 
heartache.   
 
And it is the question:  how to diagnose a person to know whether working on the issue is likely to help or not.  
Questions?  Comments?  Call 206-339-3742 (a.k.a. 206-339-ERIC) and leave a message right now...